TSP Rebounds in February

The Thrift Savings Plan bounced back to a strong performance in February, seeing across-the- board gains after spending January mostly in the red.

A turn in the markets carried the TSP to a positive month after January, which proved to be an outlier in what generally has been a very strong last six months.

The I, S and C Funds all saw significant growth in February, with international stocks increasing the most. The I Fund grew 5.58 percent in February and has risen 19.66 percent in the last 12 months. The S Fund, invested in small and midsize companies and tracking the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, saw a 5.43 percent bump, and has improved by 32.45 percent in the last 12 months -- the most of any of TSP’s offerings in that time period. The C fund -- which is invested in common stocks and fell by nearly 3.5 percent in January -- ended last month up 4.58 percent and gained 25.44 percent in the last year.

The F Fund (fixed income) continued its positive momentum after ending 2013 in the red. The offering grew 0.62 percent and is up 0.55 percent in the last year. The G Fund, invested in government securities, continued its stable growth of 0.18 percent, and is up 2.03 percent in the last 12 months.

The L Funds -- designed to move investors to less risky portfolios as they near retirement -- all yielded across-the-board positive returns in February. The L Income Fund for TSP participants who already have started withdrawing money gained 1.15 percent last month. L 2020 increased 2.73 percent last month; L 2030 gained 3.44 percent; L 2040 was up 3.94 percent; and L 2050 saw a 4.44 percent boost.